The Explainify offices are located just down the street from Savoy Tea Co., an amazing shop filled with scones, macarons, and – of course – walls of high-quality loose-leaf tea.

Like any good creative endeavor, Explainify runs on caffeine, so naturally I spend a solid amount of time at Savoy. Which means I’ve gotten to be on good terms with their team. As I’ve spent time with them, I’ve seen their brand story evolve.

Savoy has a strong brand identity. Their mission has always been to offer customers a unique, meaningful experience through tea. That’s who Savoy is – what they’re all about.

Photo courtesy Eric Hinson

Savoy started in Northwest Arkansas, where there was absolutely NO premium tea-drinking market. About the closest you could get was batch-brewed Lipton sweet tea.

So the folks at Savoy had to take a different approach: They needed to appeal to the craft coffee drinkers who a) already appreciated premium beverages and b) were willing to pay for them. In the early days, they centered their story around the slogan “Discover Fine Tea.” This phrase was Savoy’s welcome sign, beckoning adventurous coffee drinkers to try something a little different.

But as the audience has changed, so has their story. Their tea-drinking customer base has grown by leaps and bounds, so they don’t have to just try and get people in the door to try them out. Now, they’ve been able to adapt their story to their real – and growing clientele. Their actual audience.

Most of the folks who come to Savoy can’t be categorized by demographic (although the majority are women). Rather, their audience is bound together by a common interest: fine tea. Savoy’s story is big enough for anyone who’s willing to pay a little bit more for the good stuff – you know, invest in an affordable luxury. These customers know that good loose-leaf costs more than a box of tea bags, and they look forward to every cup.

Now, the Savoy story — it’s time for tea — centers around the idea of creating moments. They’re playing on the way that a great cup of tea (like a delicious cup of pour-over coffee or a gourmet meal) can transport you to another place – whether that place is a hidden Parisian cafe where you escape for a little bit of peace and quiet, or a whimsical princess tea room for your 5-year-old’s birthday party.

Photo courtesy Eric Hinson

And this story is really catching on.

The great thing about Savoy is that they know who they are. They know who their customers are.